Lawrence Lual Malong Yor Jr. says his money comes from Jesus Christ; and even after being pressed to give a convincing response, he refused.

In an interview with Citizen Television’s Jeff Koinange aired last Sunday, Mr Yor, who was in July, 2017 captured on tape bragging about his money, while literally swimming in it, denied claims that he is the son – or step-son – of former South Sudanese Chief of Staff in the Army, General Paul Malong Awan.

“According to our culture, one would be insulting me by claiming that I am General Malong’s step-son, while in real sense, I am not. I am Lawrence Lual Malong Yor senior’s son,” he said in the interview.

In a recent documentary titled “The Profiteers” by Kenyan journalist John Allan Namu – about the powerful people who allegedly benefited from South Sudan’s protracted war –, Mr Yor was portrayed as General Malong’s son – a belief, which was, until Sunday, held by several quotas.

Mr Malong, who was sacked by South Sudan president Salva Kiir in May, 2017, denied orchestrating the bloodbath in South Sudan, which led to the displacement of over two million people in a span of slightly over two years, beginning 2013.

The documentary suggested that it was during the South Sudanese civil war period that General Malong looted money to the tunes of millions of dollars and stashed them in foreign banks. Mr Malong refuted those claims on the Citizen TV interview.

Lual Malong Yor Jr., on the other hand, denied that he benefited from General Malong’s proceeds.

“My money comes from Jesus Christ,” said Mr Yor, who claimed – in the interview – that he sleeps in a presidential suite at a top Nairobi hotel. Mr Yor claims he spends $2, 500 (Ksh250, 000) per night on his accommodation alone at the facility.

Mr Yor further bragged about the Rolex watch he wore to the interview, saying it set him back $10, 000 (Ksh1 million).

An investigative unit co-founded by American actor George Clooney suggested that Mr Yor, and a section of South Sudan’s political and military leaders could have accrued vast fortunes and personal wealth during the country’s two-and-a-half year civil war.

The report was published on “The Sentry”, which is a partnership between Mr Clooney’s “Not On Our Watch” foundation, which seeks justice against those who commit genocides, and non-profit organization C4ADS, which focuses on data-driven analysis of global conflict.

In his now-viral video, Mr Yor was seen lying on a bed covered with $100 notes. He claimed that there was $1 million (Ksh100 million) total on the bed which, he said, was in a “presidential suite” in an undisclosed location.

In the video, Mr Yor, who refers to himself as “Young Tycoon”, alleged that he had donated $5 million (Ksh500 million to the Kenya Red Cross and the South Sudan Red Cross respectively.

He further alleged that he had made other million-dollar donations to churches in Juba and Nairobi.

Noellah Musundi, public relations manager at the Kenya Red Cross told “Newsweek”: “The claims in the video [by Mr Yor] are not correct. We are following up on this false claim, which is misleading and malicious.”

Just like its sister branch in Kenya, the South Sudan Red Cross also refuted Mr Yor’s claim.

John Mayom, the head of communications at the South Sudan Red Cross told “Newsweek”: “I am not aware of that donation, and I should be the first person to know about it.”

In the viral video Mr Yor claimed he was like US President Donald Trump because he is “as great as him” and he “flaunts his wealth as the US leader”.

“The Sentry” report claimed that “Lual Yor was active in South Sudan’s mining sector and has ties to companies involved in the mining of gold and diamonds, among other minerals”.

The report further said that “In apparent contravention of South Sudanese law, Lual said he did not have to go through a public-tender process to secure mining contracts”.

Mr Yor allegedly has close links to President Kiir and Mr Malong, a claim he denied on the Citizen TV interview.

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